How To Clean a Cut or Scrape

by Melody Thacker, in How To (No Comments)

Ouch, we all get a cut or scrape from time to time. When it happens don’t ignore it, here’s how to clean a cut or scrape!

Most cuts and scrapes are minor. Physical activities, work, sports and playtime often come with bumps, bruises and scrapes. Children tend to get them more often, but anyone can injure themselves during their day to day activities.

1.  Wash the area with warm water.  Use plain tap water or a mild saline solution to flush out a cut or scrape. Try to remove as much dirt and large debris like sticks, stones and things like paint chips from a scrape without scrubbing it.  Now you can see what is really going on with the injury.
2. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding.  Apply gentle pressure to a cut to stop bleeding and form a blood clot.  The clot might look ugly but don’t remove it. That’s how your body closes the wound. If you cut a finger or a toe it will seem like you are bleeding to death.  That’s because there are more nerve endings and small blood vessels in these places so they bleed a lot.
3. Does it need stitches?  A cut can be deeper than you first suspected.  If you can’t stop the bleeding or pull the edges of the skin together to put a bandage on it, seek medical attention immediately. A Doctor, Nurse or medical professional is the best one to decide.
4. Bandage a cut to keep it clean and dry. To prevent infection, speed healing and reduce pain apply a little Watkins petro carbo first aid salve before you cover it with a band aid.  Scrapes are also soothed by Petro carbo salve and it will draw out any dirt and foreign matter that may remain in the injury. Cover scrapes with a bandage to keep them clean as well.

The human body really is remarkable, as soon as you sustain any damage to your skin, it goes into repair mode.  After all, your skin is another organ, just like your heart or kidney.  The body sends white blood cells racing to the site of injury to check out the situation and police any foreign substances that want to invade. You can do your part by cleaning any cuts or scrapes as soon as possible.